In the Club Magazine Issue 38 - December 2018

‘IN THE CLUB’, IS THE OFFICIAL TUESDAY CLUB

INTERACTIVE MAGAZINE - BROUGHT TO YOU IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE PERFECT POP CO-OP

WE ARE THE TEAM!

“The Tuesday Club are synth punk pop at its catchiest if you’re thinking about Blondie and Roxy Music you’re on the right track... it’s infectious and uplifting”

Vive Le Rock

Dear Tuesday Clubbers and Pop Pickers! Welcome to the bumper WINTER/DECEMBER issue of In the Club Magazine. Well what a a lot has happened since we last spoke!

The TCs have supported Space (see page 8 for some amazing pics from Stephen Manuel). Here you can delight in the scene conjured in your minds eye of two lead singers excitedly extolling the virtues of Hammer Horror back stage afterwards... then read more of Tommy’s likes and loves on page 24 as he is our guest In the Club this issue. Not only that but we have just announced two new supports for 2019. The first with Gene Loves Jezebel and Department S on 19th January which will see an excited return for us to the 02 Islington for the first time in over 4 years and then it’s back to Harpenden Halls for an Easter Sunday rendezvous with John Peel favourites DreadZone on April 21st! Bring on the ‘19’ we say!!!

Then there’s Reverse Family, not wanting to be outdone, who have completed the RF365 and somehow managed to mislay Dermot Illogical on the way! Read all about the fantastic closing party on 6th October on page 16 and watch the great mini documentary by Harkii media ‘ A Year Reversed’. Although that particular journey has come to an end, have no fear you can still listen to & buy the whole 365 archive

via the links at www.reversefamily.co.uk Even now it’s not too late to re-live the story of one mans life through song for a whole year, day in day out!

In other news Andreas & the Wolf continue to unleash vinyl mayhem and presenting ineptitude on a growing fanbase! Check out their Christmas show on page 15.

But that’s not all folks! Oh No, we also have exciting news about our first (FREE) PPCO samplerImpulsive Compulsions... which features not only music by PPCO artists; The Tuesday Club, Andreas & the Wolf, Reverse Family, The Dodo & The Bleeed, but also The Scratch, Pony Virus, Dislocated Flowers, Rogue Sector, Scant Regard, Southdown Laundry Club, The Bleeding Soul Angels and The Venus Overload!!! See page 43 for the link to download it and read Pete Ringmasters great review on page 40.

As ever we send a great big thanks to all of you for sticking with us, liking, sharing, attending gigs and buying our material. We look forward to seeing you at a gig soon.

Finally, with this being December once more we turn our thoughts to rememberance & our great, great friend and uber talented drummer ‘Super’ Terry Cockell RIP... It’s unbelievable that it has now been 4 years since we lost him. Love & miss you every day Supes. xxx TTC Forever.

DATE NIGHTS 2018

THE TUESDAY CLUB

The Hare And Hounds (8pm)

Weds 12th DEC

THE TUESDAY CLUB

MK11, MIlton Keynes (ALL DAYER)

Sun 16th DEC

THE TUESDAY CLUB

02 Islington Academy (Gene Loves Jezebel & Department S - Support)

Sat 19th January 2019

THE TUESDAY CLUB

Harpenden Public Halls (Dreadzone - Support)

Sun 21st APRIL 2019

to: Design @andy8ecreative Content: Becky @ Northherts FM, Denise Parsons, Will Crewdson, Pete Ringmaster, David Newbold, Brad Wigglesworth, Graham O’Brien, Manilla PR, Stephen Manuel, Karen Lui, Andrew Trussler, Paul Dawson, Brian Perryman, Catrine O’Neill, Bongolious

With A support Slot from MinkI’s new band The MarAnellos

ART IS MAGIC TC’S & SPACE AT THE HARPENDEN HALLS

Pics By Stephen Manuel

Big thanks to Glenn Povey at Harpenden Public Halls for the support and to Stephen Manuel for these fantastic Pics of both bands!

© Stephen Manuel

MARTIN ATKINS - PIL 1979 -1985

On Sunday Evening 11th November at London venue

The Islington yours truely (AVBD) spent a rare night off listening to fabulous talk by former PIL drum legend Martin Atkins. As Martin told an enthralled gathering just what it was like to be in the seminal PIL Line up between 1979 and 1985. Included in the two hour session, was the real highlight of Martin & Pete Jones treating us to rhythm section only run throughs of some classic PIL tracks. It was fantastic to hear, particularly the tracks from my all time fave PIL album The Flowers of Romance. The brief jam even included an impromptu Cozy Powell rendition, but if you don’t believe me, watch it below!! A TOP evening was had, big thanks for the memories Martin! The only slight downer was the £6 a pint bit... I wonder how many you could’ve got for £6 in 1979!?

Watch Martin and Pete live

The Wheat beer was expensive but good... here at jetlagged Martin holds up a leaning AVBD after the show!

THE CLOSING PARTY

It started on 1st January 2015, caused by tragedy in December 2014 and finally ended with the closing party on October 6th 2018. Our thanks are as huge as this project to each and everyone of you who has supported 'us' and 'it' through out a truly turbulant time in our lives. #rf365

It's now been 66 days since Dermot Illogical's 'Reggie Perrinesque' disappearance from the Barn (behind the Horn, in St.Albans) following Reverse Family's final live show at The Closing Party of the 365. It's all about numbers and always has been with Dermot and he must be proud of the numbers that showed up to bid him and his project farewell on 6th October.

Dermot has left a huge hole here at the Perfect Pop Co. Never have we been so intense about social media, so organised about release schedules and so single minded about making something happen. Much has rightly or wrongly focused on the scatter gun approach of the recordings and their lack of virtuosity, but much has also focused on the actual feat of releasing 365 songs in a year and the logistical nightmare of even managing to record a song a day, guitar, bass, keys, vocals and then go to work, do the dinner, feed the cat, make sure the kids aren't screening 24/7 and are doing their homework! But not a lot has been said about the void that's been left since doing it, all that military discipline is over and the world just moves to the next new thing...

What a night the 365 closing party was though, 16 tracks by the band, signed vinyl and the chance for everyone in attendance to take their birthday dated track away with them from the huge pile of print outs that represented each day of the project. Not only that the crowing glory has to be the fantastic mini documentary produced by Karen of Harkii Media (see next page), featuring interviews from all the band members and live footage from some of the previous 18 gigs that made up the Reverse Family's brief history.

It is most important in summary however to mention the attendee's of the evening who made the party such a fitting and memorable send off and without who's love and support it is unlikely that this feat could have been achieved. We know Dermot is very grateful wherever he now resides. At least we have the music... lots and lots of music x #rf365

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You can still listen to & buy the whole 365 archive via the links below. Even now it's not too late to re-live the story of one mans life through song for a whole year, day in day out:

“the void that's been left since doing it, all that military discipline is over and the world just moves to the next new thing...”

soundcloud.com/reverse-family-ep49 soundcloud.com/reverse-family-ep50 soundcloud.com/reverse-family-ep51 soundcloud.com/reverse-family-ep52

ARKII is a dynamic digital media company based in London which focuses on independent musicians, creative audio and sound research. HARKII.com is the online hub for its original content, and it also manages multimedia content on various platforms, with future plan to transform how talents in audio industries communicate and promote their works.

We offer a mix of reporting and commentary on stories of independent musicians, creative audio projects, and academic research on sound and relevant subjects. We also discuss on art, poetry, science, technology, movie when the work is closely related to how we listen to the world.

Share Your Music Story We welcome submissions of work related to music, creative sound and audio research. Get in touch if you want to get your work published by us or share your stories with our readers.

Just drop an email to give a brief introduction to your work, project or story with its web link to hello@harkii.com or our social media contacts. We will contact you if our editor is interested in following up on your story.

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In the club TOMMY SCOTT

Joining us in the club this month is genial indie maverick Tommy Scott lead singer with 90’s Indie legends Space. We were lucky enough to meet the band as you know in September when we supported them at Harpenden Public Halls and after Mr.Vanderbraindrain found out about their mutual love of Iggy Pop and Hammer Horror, we just had to get Tommy in for a quick chat!

Hey Tommy, welcome into ‘The Club’! A great big PPCO thanks for joining us...

Firstly, we are sitting in the cyber pub doing this interview, and it’s our round. What do you want to drink?

A flagon of Buck fast wine young sir!

What was the last thing you heard/watched that was so good you had to tell someone about it?

The devil rides out, but I watch it nearly every night It was the first horror film I ever saw as a kid .

What four items would you put in a time capsule? Four celebrity chefs coz I fuckin hate them, but I’d make sure I sent them to a cannibals slaughter house in medieval times and make sure it was a one way trip.

What does Punk mean to you? Punk meant to me that I wasn’t the only freak on the council estate and I could buy the cheapest audition Woolworths guitar and join the club.

If there had only ever been one, which and why. The Clash or The Sex Pistols? It’d have to be the pistols, not because I liked them any better but because Public image came from the pistols and that encouraged bands to

be weirder. and a good idea.

If football is the current ‘rock &’roll (in terms of Superstar status), what do you think could or should be next big thing?

Experimental dick implosion. (We wondered is this a band or a movement? Sounds messy whaterver it is Tommy?!)

If you could be any character in a film, what film and who would it be?

It’d have to be Dracula A.D 19 72 and I would have to be Christopher Neame playin Johnny Alucard he just dressed so cool.

You are now In The Club, but what club do you actually wish it was?

The monster club with Vincent price and BA Robertson would be on stage performing his vampire song.

Who’d be in your four-piece fantasy band? Siouxsie Sioux, Elvis, Chuck Berry and Frank Sinatra

If you had a time machine and could go back to any year in music, what would it be and why?

It’d be just before prog rock started so I could do anything in my means to stop it happening.

What question haven’t we asked you that you wish we had? Is music ever gonna be great again after punk. My answer would sadly be NO!!!

Where’s the best place to find you on the internet? facebook.com/spacethebandofficial @Space_The_Band spacetheband.co.uk

Big thanks Tommy, looking forward to catching you guys again with Black Grape in March next year! Go on people start clicking those links!

SHOCK, SHOCK HORROR, HORROR!!!

A couple of Tommy recommended classics from the vaults!

RANDOM ANSWERS

Sonic explorer Eric Random discusses his life in music and sound with Rogue Sector’s Andrew Trussler.

Born in 1961, Mancunian musician Eric Random became interested in experimental music during his teens. In the late 1970s he formed the Tiller Boys with Pete Shelley and Francis Cookson, and soon after began producing and performing music under his own name.

Over the last forty years, he’s released an array of experimental, eclectic albums and collaborated with Nico (with whom he toured extensively in the 1980s as part of her band, the Faction) and Cabaret Voltaire, amongst others. Widely travelled, he studied non-western instruments in India, eventually relocating to Morocco for a number of years in the early 2000s.

Now back in his native Manchester, Eric has produced no less than four albums in the last few years, with a new double vinyl LP, Wire Me Up, due for release in early 2019.

His music has fascinated me since I first heard Earthbound Ghost Need (released in 1982), as a teenager. We finally met in January this year, at The Wild Card Brewery in East London, where Eric was headlining.

Not one for interviews, Eric prefers to let his music speak for itself. So I was grateful when he graciously agreed to answer my questions. Here he talks about his formative musical influences; covering Maurice Ravel’s Bolero; working with Nico; his long friendship with Cabaret Voltaire; and being

followed by the secret police in Czechoslovakia.

The last couple of years have seen you performing live in London, Europe and America, as well as the release of two new albums, Words Made Flesh and Two Faced. How have these been received and what are you working on at the moment?

Yes, releasing and playing live again has been a really positive experience with two new albums on Viennese post-punk imprint Klanggalerie being well received.

Plus a number of live performances around the UK, mainland Europe and the U.S., of which appearances in cities like Vilnius and Berlin were highlights.

These events stood out, mainly as there were young audiences who were new to my work, which was an added excitement for me. That said, seeing a few old faces was nice at gigs in Sheffield and a really great night at the Wild Card Brewery in East London, with DJ sets from good mates Stephen Mallinder [Mal] and Lone Lady.

The latter part of 2018 has been taken up with writing another

album and most recently I’ve written a few tracks for a planned 12” with The Pop Group’s label, Freaks R Us. Some of these tracks will be collaborations with Mark Stewart and Mal, whom I still believe to be two of the most important writers and performers around.

A compilation of your early work, A Boy Alone, has just been released as a double LP [on Dark Entries]. Looking back, how do you feel about this material now?

Although I’m not one for looking back, I do feel it’s important to keep older works alive and present. So releases such as A Boy Alone are very much appreciated. I can be a little over-critical when returning to previous recordings though, so I usually prefer to give as much freedom of choice as possible to whoever is compiling the project.

Eric Random – Dow Chemical Company [A Boy Alone]: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=5M42d8ajZXA

Growing up in Manchester, were you interested in music as a youth? What were your formative musical experiences / epiphanies?

Some of my earliest musical memories are imprints of the Motown and Ska records that my elder brothers and sisters used to play. In my early teens I began listening to the likes of Roxy Music and The Velvet Underground, whose music I could relate to more than anything I’d heard before. Then the arrival of Punk served as a gateway to accessing 70s German art bands and electronic music.

The Velvet Underground – The Black Angel’s Death Song [The Velvet Underground & Nico]: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=fU4G_8VYlOQ

Manchester in the mid-to-late 70s seems to have been an exciting place. It really feels like there was a community of artists trying to achieve similar ideas, much like the underground scene that was

...the addiction is stronger than ever. I've been pretty much living in the studio this past year or so, finishing tracks for a new double vinyl album, Wire Me Up, for Sleepers Records that will be out early in the New Year.

going on in Sheffield at the time. What are your memories of the era and how did they impact on you as an emerging musician?

Around the age of fifteen my world opened up with the discovery of the Ranch Bar, originally a small, quite bizarre gay club owned by local drag artist Foo Foo Lammar. The place was absolutely liberating for me; meeting people and hearing music completely removed from the norm, all set in a rather tacky Wild West saloon setting.

There was an abundance of artists around Manchester in the late seventies and early eighties, particularly in places like Hulme (which was a rather dismal area consisting of blocks of poorly built flats in large crescent formations). Artists of all kinds congregated here, either working on projects of their own or in numerous collaborations. One of the main reasons for my interest in forming the Beach Club was to provide a venue where such things could be showcased [Eric - with the help of others - set up the Beach Club in a disused building in Manchester. Bands played on one floor and avant-garde films were screened on another]. I think all this activity was a reaction to living in the gloom of a city in the death throes of its industrial past.

Don Letts has said that, for him, the most important thing about punk was the DIY ethos. How important was this ethos to you? Was punk the catalyst that got you wanting to form your own band?

To me the DIY ethos in the early days of punk was far more important and influential than the actual music being produced. So I was influenced more by the possibilities of creating within music, sound and rhythm, rather than the actual music of the punk bands that were around at the time.

Around 1977-78 you formed the Tiller Boys with Pete Shelley and Francis Cookson. How did you all meet and start working together?

After getting to know Pete Shelley (another regular at The Ranch Bar), he then introduced me to Francis Cookson, and this led to the beginnings of The Tiller Boys.

The Tiller Boys – Big Noise From The Jungle:

https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=at30Ww7cIiw

What made you move away from the Tiller Boys and into performing and recording under your own name?

As I said, The Tiller Boys was never meant to be an ongoing, sustained entity. So the move to start working as a solo artist was more of a natural progression rather than a set-out plan.

Around this time you met Cabaret Voltaire. Your careers were intertwined during the early to mideighties (the Cabs produced a lot of your early material and you played on two of their albums). How did you meet and why do you think you hit it off so well?

The basis was Francis and I with Pete coming in now and then, when not pre-occupied with the Buzzcocks. Another occasional Tiller Boy was Magazine’s bassist, the extremely talented Barry Adamson.

Although this formation generated a large amount of interest, and also participated in some fairly iconic events, it didn’t last too long. This was mainly due to our attitude of being anti anything that resembled the egotistic rock and pop band relationships that we’d experienced when a lot of the punk bands signed with major labels and then suffered the inevitable pit falls.

They were supporting the Buzzcocks at the Lyceum in London and I was completely blown away by their performance. They were producing sounds that I felt ran parallel to my own efforts and the sheer physical effect that their music inflicted on me was really something special.

This meeting was the beginning of a friendship and working relationship that has spanned forty years. We collaborated together for the first time when Mal and Richard [Kirk] produced my debut solo album, That’s What I Like About Me, which received very good reviews in the music press. Which was fine but, at the time, I truly only put credence in the

Pete Shelley

responses I received from my peers.

Eric Random – Fade In [That’s What I Like About Me]:

https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=jNhiKGwmFvc

The similarities between our music and the sort of things we were listening to strengthened our bond and led to them working on later recordings of mine [Earthbound Ghost Need and Mad As Mankind]. I also played on some of their

albums, such as 2x45, MicroPhonies and an offshoot project called The Pressure Company.

Cabaret Voltaire – Wait and Shuffle [2x45], featuring Eric Random: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=ke3QSFFeYr8

In 1982 you released your first album with the Bedlamites, Earthbound Ghost Need. The tracks on that album seemed to land somewhere between songs

and atmospheric soundtracks. What were your influences and intentions while making this album and what made you return to a band setup?

The Bedlamites was not a static line-up, even though there were one or two members, including Graham Dowdall, who would come and go throughout the overall lifespan of the group - making it a continuous, evolving collective of musicians.

Random collaborators: Cabaret Voltaire in their Western Works studio, Sheffield, circa 1978

Eric Random & The Bedlamites – Force Feed [Earthbound Ghost Need]:

https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=Und7_ oEZQUc

Again, it wasn’t a conscious decision to be part of a band, it was more that I had ideas for some of the tracks that would become Earthbound Ghost Need, and they required the use of certain instruments. In the end the album became a blend of pieces that were pre-thought out ideas (or themes), which were then improvised

Eric Random in NYC, 2018

Pic courtesy of Pete Hill

around in the studio. Other tracks, such as Regret and Despair, were completely improvised live sessions. Apart from the obvious eastern and dub influences that show throughout the album, I was also attempting to create a collection of emotional sonic sculptures.

Eric Random & The Bedlamites –Regret and Despair [Earthbound Ghost Need]:

https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=fDNbYSOp1WI

The album features a very ambitious cover version of Ravel’s Bolero. What was it about this piece of classical music that attracted you and made you want to deconstruct it? Was it hard work getting this recorded? And is it true that you had an 8ft tape loop of the snare drum pattern to contend with in the studio?

My homage to Ravel’s Bolero grew out of my appreciation of repetition, the increasing intensity as the piece builds, and a genuine admiration for a composition that was well ahead of it’s time. It was a fairly difficult undertaking, more so for Andy Diagram, who played the trumpet parts. He suffered a deep split to his lip that bothered him for quite some time after. The 8ft tape loop of the snare drum rhythm ran through the tape machine, across the studio and around a drumstick that I held at the correct tension to keep it in time.

Eric Random & The Bedlamites –Bolero [Earthbound Ghost Need]: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=YNwP5vPCjPY

Earthbound Ghost Need had some Eastern musical influences (most obviously on Eastern Promise). These become more pronounced over your next couple of releases (Mad As Mankind and TimeSplice). By the time you brought out Ishmael in 1986, the Turkish and Indian references are very much in the foreground. I gather you travelled to India, prior to these recordings, to study non-Western instruments and learning to play the tabla. What was the original motivation to

I met Nico when I was asked to support her at a club called Rafters, here in Manchester. After my set she came and asked if I would play guitar on one or two songs she was about to perform. I agreed to this, never thinking this was the beginning of a working friendship that would continue for the next seven years.

travel there and why do you think it had such a profound effect on your music?

My ethnic music influences, in particular the classical and folk music of India and Pakistan, came about through my love of rhythm and a constant search for new sounds or tonal dynamics, especially instruments using sympathetic strings to create harmonics. My first stay in India was motivated by a determination to understand the music and culture, which led to my interest in the tabla.

Eric Random & The Bedlamites – Dream Web of Maya [Mad As Mankind]:

https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=vdPep6-oo8Y

My studies continued back in Manchester thanks to the late, great Manikrao Popatkar, whom I studied under for a number of years. Inevitably, these new skills meant that Asian and North African strains of music, only hinted at in my previous work, now began to feature more strongly.

Eric Random & The Bedlamites –Cherish [Ishmael]: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=5JYEDFPKlKI

In 1981, you became a member of Nico’s band, the Faction. How did you meet?

I met Nico when I was asked to support her at a club called Rafters, here in Manchester. After my set she came and asked if I would play guitar on one or two songs she

Nico in Manchester, 1980s’

was about to perform. I agreed to this, never thinking this was the beginning of a working friendship that would continue for the next seven years.

Her deciding to stay in Manchester was, I believe, down to the fact that she had people who were genuinely behind her, in whom she found a sense of security; something she wasn’t used to. She came, she played, she stayed.

In his book about those years with Nico, Songs They Never Play On The Radio, James Young [keyboard player with the Faction] refers to her as the ‘queen of the bad girls’ - what was your experience of working with her?

I wouldn’t describe her as a bad girl. She obviously had a dark and very selfish, childlike side to her, but this was generated mainly by her addiction to heroin and the fact she’d been used and abused throughout her life. She’d learnt to live in a kind of lonely survival mode which meant she was capable walking over people if she felt she needed to. Nico

& The Faction – All Saints Night From A Polish Motorway [Nico Behind The Iron Curtain]:

https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=rh3ZrTHF5ok

The live album, Behind The Iron Curtain, captures some of Nico and the Faction’s gigs in the former Eastern Bloc: Poland, Hungary and Czechoslovakia. I understand it was quite dangerous at times. Is it true that some of the gigs were illegal and you were being followed by the secret police?

The Eastern Bloc Iron Curtain tour was probably one of the highlights of my times with Nico and not because it was a pleasant experience. The trip peaked in intensity during our time in Czechoslovakia. After having to be smuggled into the country, we found hidden microphones in our

hotel rooms and I noticed a beautiful, vintage black Tatra constantly behind us, which left everyone with a slightly heightened awareness. Coming off stage after a gig in Prague, expecting a few celebratory drinks backstage, we found two plainclothes policemen banging the head of the promoter against the wall of our dressing room. We were whisked away and driven immediately to the border and over into Austria. Fairly lucky really, as the style of music we had been performing was classed as illegal and we met people who had actually spent time in prison for playing non-sanctioned music.

In the summer of 1988, I was busy playing a few dates in Italy and Nico had gone for a short break to Ibiza. One morning I received a phone call at my hotel, telling me she was gone [Nico died from a cerebral haemorrhage on July 18 1988, while cycling in Ibiza].

All this, and the kind of lifestyle I had led during those years, left me physically and emotionally tired. So I took some time out and did nothing for a year or so.

You returned to performing in 1990 with Free Agents, a sevenpiece band that seems to pick up where Ishmael leaves off. Rave culture was prevalent at the time, ecstasy and pure escapism were all the rage - I know you were a bit dubious about that. Can you say why?

The beginning of the 90s saw me back at it, with intermittent performances as a member of Sons of Arqa and also touring with a new three piece band. This included Seema, a classical Indian vocalist. We did two tours supporting Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and Salif Keita. This new line up developed and grew into a seven piece

including Country Culture (an MC born in Manchester, Jamaica), and also Kwasi Asante, son of a Ghanaian chief and master drummer.

So now I was back in a band situation, I decided to use the title Free Agents once again. The name was a statement of intent against some of the negative aspects of band relationships I mentioned earlier. I felt the need to do this as these negative attitudes had surfaced within the Faction and crept into the final formation of the Bedlamites.

What was it like performing as a seven-piece band in the midst of all the pronounced hedonism that was going at the time?

Not exactly the best of times to be taking a seven-piece band around, this being the age of rave. We were turning up at clubs to play where it was now the norm to just have DJs or so-called live performance that was usually just mimed. All this set against the wave of ecstasy that rendered people into a state where they would accept any old shit.

You’ve said before that by 2000 you felt artistically and culturally alienated by the increasing Americanisation of the world and stopped performing live. Instead, you began writing music for various documentaries and TV programmes, is that right?

As the decade drew to a close Seema and I both performed with Richard H. Kirk on the eve of the new Millennium in Nante, which was to be my last performance of that period. Not too long after

Playing live again was not something I had even considered but, as we had a little history together, and the fact that Stephen Mallinder would also be playing with his new band, Wrangler, I decided to go for it.

this I was asked to work on a TV programme as the sound-recordist. It was to be shot in Sri Lanka, just a one off kind of thing.

It was a trip with a very memorable journey home. On the way to Colombo airport, which had recently seen terrorist attacks,

two young children to experience was one of the reasons I bought a beautiful old Riad-style house and settled there. The other reason was my love of the place, its culture and music, that had only grown over various visits since the early eighties.

first album in almost twenty years, Man Dog, released on Klanggalerie along with two further albums: Words Made Flesh and Two Faced. Spending time writing the new tracks and offers of live work were deciding factors in returning to Manchester as a base of operations.

But I’m not constantly gigging as I did in the past. Not having management or agents, I deal with this side of things myself. I tend to wait until someone approaches me with something that looks interesting.

These new albums are entirely electronic, the ethnic instruments and influences have all but disappeared. Was it a conscious decision to move on from that? Are you still interested in Eastern music?

there was an announcement on the radio about the 9/11 attacks in New York.

After conversations with people from the production company who were out there, I was offered the opportunity to write music for an upcoming children’s series. I was really happy to take this on as it was such a different environment to anything I’d done before. But I would only do it if I was allowed to provide credible pieces of music and not be treated as a sound library. They were happy for me to work this way and it led to doing a second series. For the next few years I continued to write for numerous Film and TV projects.

Am I right in thinking you moved to Morocco at this time? What prompted your decision to up stakes and move to a completely different culture?

My move to Morocco was not absolute; I was regularly travelling back and forth [to Manchester], as it was only a three hour flight away. The easy access to such a different culture for my [then]

Words Made Flesh was released on the Klanggalerie label in 2016, followed by Two Faced a year later. What brought you back to Manchester from Morocco?

Around the beginning of 2014 I was contacted by Walter Robotka [musician and founder of Klanggalerie label], whom I’d done a small magazine release with many years back. He wanted to know if I would come to play at an event he was putting together in Vienna celebrating the Doublevision label [Cabaret Voltaire’s one-time music and video label].

Eric Random – Future Tense [Two Faced]:

https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=MgMAOdmjybs

Playing live again was not something I had even considered but, as we had a little history together, and the fact that Stephen Mallinder would also be playing with his new band, Wrangler, I decided to go for it. This event led to me writing my

Asian and Middle Eastern influences are no longer at the forefront but they’re still present here and there in these albums. A conscious decision was made with the instrumentation used rather than with the change in musical influences, returning to an entirely electronic sound.

Eric Random performing live at Klang 25, Vienna – June 16 2018: https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=-2P-BVfzBhk

You played New York City and Detroit while in America this year, where you performed music specifically written for the two events, using the modular synth and drum machine collection of Todd Hines. How did that go and how do you know each other?

To be absolutely honest, I hadn’t heard of Todd until he contacted me with his proposal for me to go to the U.S. Sadly, the somewhat surreal, chaotic organisation for the events in NYC (and my inability to play Detroit due to technical problems) left me a little disappointed.

When two local promoters heard that I was in town they contacted me to play a couple of small

William Burroughs

unannounced sets in Manhattan and Brooklyn. These dates (plus the time in Detroit) made the overall trip worthwhile.

Eric Random – The Yen Comes On [Two Faced]: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6vja88H2vc

William Burroughs makes cameo appearances on both albums (on the tracks Conspiracy Complete and The Yen Comes On), and your earlier album, Earthbound Ghost Need, took its title from one of his phrases. What was it that initially grabbed you about him?

I read his novel, The Wild Boys for the first time and it was a thought-expanding experience, along with the other musical and social epiphanies I was going through at the time; his use of cut-ups as an inspirational tool, as well as the sheer beauty in the rhythm of his writing.

As is well known, Burroughs was a heroin addict throughout much of his life. You’ve talked about music being your addiction. How often are you in the studio and what are your plans for 2019?

Definitely, the addiction is stronger than ever. I’ve been pretty much living in the studio this past year or so, finishing tracks for a new double vinyl album, Wire Me Up, for Sleepers Records that will be out early in the New Year.

Eric Random – Wire Me Up [teaser for forthcoming double LP Wire Me Up]: https://soundcloud.com/sleepersound-2/ eric-random-wire-me-up?utm_ source=soundcloud&utm_ campaign=share&utm_medium=twitter

I’m presently working on another album for Klanggalerie and finishing the three or four songs for the planned Freaks R Us 12” - all due for release next year.

I’ll be playing in America and Berlin again. In the UK there’ll be a live radio session on Resonance FM, with the possibility of another live London venture with the nice people at These Days music. So, enough to keep me occupied and on track... for a while at least.

@theericrandom

"Around the age of fifteen my world opened up with the discovery of the Ranch Bar, originally a small, quite bizarre gay club owned by local drag artist Foo Foo Lammar.

The place was absolutely liberating for me; meeting people and hearing music completely removed from the norm, all set in a rather tacky Wild West saloon setting."

The Tea Project

The Tea Project are a Progressive Psychedelic Acid Blues Power Trio Rock Band from Hertfordshire and Essex... Performing songs about subjects that they love...

“We are noisey boys who won’t to turn the fuck down... That's how it is, to explore every inch of your instrument and have fun - The Tea Project most definitely do that. You have a delicious anthemic Riff orientated Bluesy Gibson SG Guitar sound coming from Tony Hands. With a massively cool melodic and ballsey baseline coming from Deene Hoult's Gibson Firebird Bass mixed together with the most Cutting and Progressively Thunderous Yamaha 9000's Drums from Michael Bongolious Maximus Orloff. Mixed together we are The Tea Project.”

Tony Hands – Guitar & Vox. From ‘Sons Of Hedon’ back in the 80′s. Then Tea For The Wicked, then the Tea Project

To find out more about the band check these sites: the-tea-project.wixsite.com/the-tea-project facebook.com/theteaprojectband

Purchase Cd’s And/or digital download by The Tea Project theteaproject.bandcamp.com

The Tea Project is on Reverberation, listen and purchase CDs and Merchandise reverbnation.com/theteaproject

Listen to I Need a Smoke by The Tea Project youtu.be/xdO22GB6gSs

Listen to Leafy Projections by The Tea Project youtu.be/mkVNZfDf_Ys

Listen to Green on the carpet by The Tea Project youtu.be/9yXkQNv4cSc

Dean E Holt (Bass) was playing with seminal psyche guitarist Tony Hill (Tony Hill’s Fiction –2000 – 2009) from the cult late 60’s bands, The Misunderstood & High Tide. Along side Tony Hill, Dean was playing with Sarf London Blues Rockers FatKat. Dean Joined Tea For The Wicked, Then The Tea Poject

Michael Bongolious Maximus Orloff, Drums and Percussion.

And also of: Mixa & SummerHouse, Space-DubRockers SilverSpace, Dirty Subjects, Jigzaw, Kaned and Able, Bongos@ The Monday Club, Horn St Albans, Couple a warm ups for The Tuesday Club, Astral Gurus, German Heavy Stoner Jam band Electric Moon, The Tea Project & SHOM & Spiral Navigator's, The3BuskAteers.

Listen to a Tea Project 30 minute gig with a few covers thrown in for good measure.

Live from The Priory, Dover. youtu.be/CntUi8MTdow

Or why not visit and subscribe to the Bongolious YouTube video production channel for some exclusive Tea Project music video’s. youtube.com/channel/UCvLvQsdg71A0j-ye13oAFLg

Perfect Pop Co Op Radio is back: mixcloud.com/perfectpopcoop now hosted by Andreas & the Wolf, just click, follow and enjoy! Lots of exclusives, oldies and rarities and that’s the music not the band!

Andreas & the Wolf have been making radio shows for almost 7 years now, but this year is the first one that they’ve been let loose on unsupervised!

Presented in their own inimitable and bungled style,

if you love Indie, indie dance, new wave, post punk, old school punk, vinyl and discovering new music, this has to be the show for you! This is not just an excuse to plunder their own musical heritage though, oh no, this eclectic show comes interspersed with both tracks that have influenced them over the years by established artists and also tracks by fellow ‘DIYers’, underground mavericks and tomorrows indie superstars. You gotta click this link and get yourself subscribed. The show comes out once a month and can be found on the: perfectpopco-op.co.uk and mixcloud.com/perfectpopcoop

Follow us!

@andreasandtwolf

instagram.com/andreasandthewolf

TAGAS

Tagas is born

Tagas was never really part of the plan. He kind of evolved from a culmination of circumstances, like it was fate or always meant to be. He grew from years of writing poems and stories, both of which were important to the way I processed events in my life at the time. It was only as the years went by and as a result of writing songs with a friend of mine, that I began to find my love of creating music.

After the musical collaboration with my friend ended, I started to write songs on my own and could appreciate the value of using music in an open and honest way - in a way that was cathartic and helped me make sense of things. I had grown up loving synth bands, so it felt natural that this would be the direction that Tagas would go in, that I would use electronic music to create a world in which my lyrics could exist alongside erratic bleeps, repetitive drum beats, deep baselines and sequencers. Almost straight away, right from the very first early songs I wrote, it felt like a part of me had found its voice. It was then that Tagas was born.

Tagas grows

Initially Tagas was a very solitary experience. He was almost a journal, somewhere to explore those things that I struggled to process. His music was rarely shared, for fear he divulged too much of me. I was too protective of him and felt it best that he lived his life as a passionate hobby of mine. However, as a result of tentatively sharing Tagas with friends and beginning to believe their words of encouragement, it felt as though the time was right to start letting my music reach out to others. It began to dawn on me that Tagas might be able to connect with people and that the experiences and feelings I wrote about were not unique to me.

The songs of Tagas are universal to all of us. They are songs that explore those darker moments in our lives, when we feel at our most hurt or vulnerable, when we struggle or search for something better, when we don’t know fully who we are, those times when we feel broken.

Tagas lives

It is only now that I can truly see how important Tagas has been in my life. It is only now, as he starts to exist outside of the privacy of my personal world, that I recognise that there might be an audience out there somewhere for him.

It feels like the time is right to reach out to people and find the ones that might be looking for something different, might be looking for something like Tagas, and who might just grow to love his little melancholic universe. You can find more of Tagas online.

Head to Facebook/tagasmusic and like him. Or follow him on SoundCloud.com/tagas-music

As we all look for the perfect gift for loved ones this time of year, the irrepressible UK indie label Perfect Pop Co Op are giving one to all music lovers. Free with the December issue of their magazine, Impulsive Compulsions 01 brings together 13 tracks from six unique bands and seven projects past and present borne from within the Perfect Pop Co Op family; quite simply a baker’s dozen of the best and most mischievous songs and artists you could wish dangling from the stocking on your various speakers.

From start to finish, the album teases and flirts with the imagination as it dances with ears; getting off to a mighty start with Scant Regard. The band is the solo project of Londonbased guitarist/writer/producer Will Crewdson renowned for his work with the likes of Adam Ant, The Selecter, Johnette Napolitano, Flesh for Lulu, Bow Wow Wow, She Made Me Do It and Rachel Stamp, which he co-founded. Taken from his snare of an album, the wonderful Skipping Over Damaged Area which was released earlier this year, Destroy (We’re Here to) is a salacious flirtation of electro punk/ synth pop intimation; a viral infection

"Destroy (We're Here to) is a salacious flirtation of electro punk/ synth pop intimation"

which could even have the walking dead dancing to its hook spun, groove strung, guitar driven, funk sprouting machination.

It is a glorious start which sets the tone to the sampler, each track unapologetically individual in sound and character but united in DIY imagination, devilish intent, and sonic goodness as proven immediately by next up Impulsive Compulsions by Pony Virus. The band is the original incarnation of The Scratch and the track a tantalising piece of post punk shoe gaze as haunting as it is infectious. The song is a slice of weird with hues of eighties bands such as The Passage, The Wonder Stuff and Inspiral Carpets; teasing with these somewhat familiar spices in a whole new recipe sounding as fresh now as it did back in the day. The Scratch itself provides its own piece of temptation later in the album’s playlist with Teen Idol, itself a ridiculously magnetic encounter which had us hooked from the first rumbling growl of bass. Currently on hiatus after releasing a quartet of greedily devoured albums, the band’s sound s pure pop/indie punk romping blessed with seventies DIY adventure and inescapable contagion.

Through the sinister dark electronica bred dystopia of Age of Control in a remix by creators Rogue Sector, a track which also haunts ears and thoughts whilst teasing hips to gather momentum with its electronic dissonance, and the wonk pop punk bred Limited Ambition swung through ears by Andreas And The Wolf, temptation and captivation to the album only deepened. Both bands have debut albums in the works and each has been given a rich teaser through their contributions to Impulsive Compulsions.

Andreas And The Wolf also provide the radio show which this album has mutually sprung from with Perfect Pop Co Op, all favourite artists being greedily featured over time, none more so

than the following pair of Dislocated Flowers and The Tuesday Club. The first of the pair gives AudioBiological to the parade of aural independence, an invasive psych rock track inciting the body to erupt as it corrupts the senses with its imposing and invigorating instrumental incitement. Unshakeable favourites and friends to The RR, The Tuesday Club simply infested the passions with Too Pure To Live, a slow swing of a creative virus directing hips and imagination like a puppeteer. The band has unleashed numerous gems over the past few years but this track alone shows they are creating not only their finest escapades but some of that fuelling the independent rock scene.

And the goodness just kept coming, just confirming already the thought we had rattling around the brain that this is an essential, indeed must have release. The Venus Overload kept the suggestion bubbling with their encounter Without Doubt, a sixties nurtured psych pop lure echoing the band’s major inspiration, The Velvet Underground, but with its own compelling persona.

Further into the album, the poetic drama and stark atmospheric breath of Sometimes When I Dream simply infested thought and appetite, the dark soundscape from Southdown Laundry Club, a project created by Pete ‘Joyless’ Jones (Department S) and Andrew Trussler (Rogue Sector) as mesmeric as it is chilling.

In its own way, Dead Marchers is just as tenebrific and haunting, the track by Bleeding Soul Angels an inviting smog of psych and dark pop with a raw edge to its contagion while the following Dream boy doin’ well had the body bouncing with its punkabilly stomp. The Bleeed is an offshoot of four members out of The Tuesday Club when it was a seven strong rascal, and features the devious swings of drummer and gentleman Terry Super Cockell, who since its

"Each track unapologetically individual in sound and character but united in DIY imagination, devilish intent, and sonic goodnes"

"Teen Idol, itself a ridiculously magnetic encounter which had us hooked from the first rumbling growl of bass"

"a track which also haunts ears and thoughts whilst teasing hips to gather momentum"

"electronic dissonance, and the wonk pop punk"

"an invasive psych rock track inciting the body to erupt as it corrupts the senses"

"a slow swing of a creative virus directing hips and imagination like a puppeteer"

"a sixties nurtured psych pop lure echoing the band's major inspiration"

"poetic drama and stark atmospheric breath"

"an inviting smog of psych and dark pop with a raw edge"

"Dream boy doin' well had the body bouncing with its punkabilly stomp"

creation has passed away. The band has vowed to return this year and on this scoundrel of a track we for one cannot wait.

The album is finished off by firstly Waiting for the Walls to Come Down from The Dodo. A band made up of Andy Scratch, Steve Filth and John the Bassist, who released one album in 2010 before the side project was put aside, they had the body bouncing like it was on a string with their contribution. Mixing sixties pop and seventies new wave to try and describe its epidemic of temptation, the track is another in a perpetual line of major treats, the last coming with album closer Way it goes. From Reverse Family, a project headed by the reported missing but maybe we know better (wink wink) Dermot Illogical, the band have just completed their 2018 epic task of releasing 365 songs over 365 in weekly EPs, an epic adventure in sound and pleasure we are still catching up on such its size. Way it goes gives all the reasons with its Adam & The Ants-esque, swing spun chicanery for you to go check it out too and the band’s debut album it comes from, My Songs About Life – Mid Crisis.

There are a host of truly great independent labels out there right now and Perfect Pop Co Op stands right there on the frontline and as mentioned all songs and artists have been featured on the Andreas and the Wolf radio show which equally we can only heartily recommend; the album in celebration of one year of their shows and fifty issues of the Perfect Pop Co Op magazine.

The Perfect Pop Co Op Sampler – Impulsive Compulsions 01 is out December 11th free with the new issue of the Perfect Pop Co Op magazine.

theperfectpopco-op.bandcamp.com

perfectpopco-op.co.uk

facebook.com/perfectpopcoop/ perfectpopco-op.co.uk/magazine

ringmasterreviewintroduces.wordpress.com/2018/12/05/perfect-popco-op-sampler-impulsive-compulsions-01/

"Mixing sixties pop and seventies new wave to try and describe its epidemic of temptation"

"Ants-esque, swing spun chicanery"

"There are a host of truly great independent labels out there right now and Perfect Pop Co Op stands right there on the frontline"

Age of Control (Remix) - Rogue Sector

AudioBiological - Dislocated Flowers

Dead Marchers - Bleeding Soul Angels

Dream boy doin’ well - The Bleeed

Destroy (We’re Here to) - Scant Regard

Impulsive compulsions - Pony Virus

Way it goes - Reverse Family

Sometimes When I Dream - Southdown Laundry Club

Too pure to Live - The Tuesday Club

WFTW(TCD) - The Dodo

Without Doubt - The Venus Overload

Limited AMbition - Andreas And The Wolf

Teen Idol - The Scratch

Rogue Sector make stark, dark electronica. Their debut single, Spare The Words, was a beyond-the-grave collaboration with Nico; and they've also remixed the infamous Department S song, Is Vic There? They're currently recording their debut album, The Ministry Of Love. twitter.com/roguesector roguesector@outlook.com

Southdown Laundry Club Combine the dark narratives of Irvine Hunter with soundscapes created by Pete ‘Joyless’ Jones (Department S) and Andrew Trussler (Rogue Sector). Songs For Someone Else available here: https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/southdownlaundryclub

Dislocated Flowers “Music liberates the Soul, brings us together and is a force for good.” The DFs let their hybrid do the talking with a Psychadellic Power Aurora Borealis! twitter.com/DislocatedFlow3

Dislocated/Soundcloud

Bleeding Soul Angels Dislocated Flowers madder half brothers... Nuremburg in the 1930’s and Charlottesville in 2017 anyone? BleedingSoul/Soundcloud

The Venus Overload - Velvets influenced TVO released a sixties-themed four song CD E.P titled ‘Easysqueezy’ released in 1997. Originally on their own CC Records label. Each song was a deliberate nod to Bands from the 1960’s they admired and who had influenced them. This one was very much in the mould of The Velvet Underground. TVO/Soundcloud

Scant Regard - Will Crewdson is Scant Regard. A guitar-driven, heavily beat-laden sci-fi mind’s eye soundtrack rage. A full on electro-popping, rockabilly dabbling, surfguitar twanging industro-funk explosion in neon hues. Also known for being the lead guitarist in Adam Ant’s band and The Selecter as well as his own Rachel Stamp and She Made Me Do It scantregard.com

The Bleeed - Featuring 4 Tuesday Club members and recording this and 7 other tracks in 2013. The Bleeed looked sure to become a regular PPCO feature until the death of drummer Terry. With an 80s tinged production, 1 finger guitar riffs and a very healthy obsession with Hammer Horror films, the 3 surving members, have vowed to return in a modified retro styling... watch out 2019! theperfectpopco-op.bandcamp.com/album/the-silentscream-ep

Reverse Family Made ‘famous’ in these parts by 2018’s 365 project (incase you missed it!) 365 songs released over 365 days, the now defunct band once headed by missing in action front man Dermot Illogical, treat us to the track that launched the band back in 2017 from their Vinyl only LP, My Songs About Life - Mid Crisis

theperfectpopco-op.bandcamp.com/album/way-it-goes

The Scratch - Released 4 albums, played XFM & BBC introducing sessions, played Versus cancer 07 at the M.E.N. Manchester, released 4 albums and then went on hiatus...

TeenIdolVideo

Pony Virus - Was basically the original incarnation of The Scratch, the bands weirder more experimental dance oriented cousin. Formed around 2001 and consumed into The Scratch whirlpool around 2003, turning ultimately into the bands label Ponyland Records.

The Tuesday Club - Formed as a break from the ‘day job’ in 2011 by 8 members of different local bands including The Scratch, We are White Worm, The Daves and 50ft Woman. The Tuesday Club started rehearsing on a Tuesday with tracks deemed ‘back burner’ material and from there grew into something unique. Today 7 years on and despite tragedy and the shedding of 6 original members, The TC’s have metamorphosised into a three album institution. 2019 is already looking promising with two decent supports to Gene Loves Jezebel and Dreadzone.

thisisthetuesdayclub.co.uk

The Dodo - Another Scratch splinter faction The DIY or DIE Organisation were formed by Andy Scratch, Steve Filth and John the Bassist as mini album side project with Crane Fly aspirations. They recorded one album in 2010 over 3 frantic weeks and then demised. theperfectpopco-op. bandcamp.com/album/the-diy-or-die-organisation

Andreas & The Wolf -Before the Radio show there was, the TCs now there’s a psycho pop duo. The basic concept came from the Bwolf reimagining his twenty year old self & trying to keep true to his original bedroom DIY cassette culture ideals - throw an Andreas into the mix and see what mutates... influenced by early 80s electronica, dub and wonkiness. The debut album is due out in 2019. @andreasandtwolf mixcloud.com/perfectpopcoop instagram.com/andreasandthewolf

Big thanks to all for their great creative contributions. As with all we do, our aim is to spread the word of great underground DIY exponents and with all your help to ultimately bring PERFECT POP back to the Saccarin Sodden Masses collective consciousness... or at the very least create for ourselves an alternate world where PERFECT POP is the weird/ obscure/creative/diy cult/ that can exist and get the airing it deserves!!!

To Celebreate Not only 50 issues of the Perfect Pop Co-Op Magazinbe in it’s 2 guises from ‘Sound of the Suburbs’ to ‘In The Club’ but also One year of Andreas & The Wolf Radio Shows... We’ve put togehter this free sampler of 6 of our favourite acts played over the last years shows & Half a Dozen +1 PPCO projects.

tribute to the late great Poly Styrene

CELEBRATING THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE CLASSIC X-RAY SPEX ALBUM, THE ENTIRE BODY OF WORK WAS PLAYED IN ITS ENTIRETY THROUGHOUT THE COURSE OF THE FESTIVAL.

A highly original rendition of a Poly Styrene classic came from Jen of The Pricillas, who belted out Let’s Submerge against a backdrop of electronica, with Pig Bag collaborator Tony Wrafter providing crucial augmentation via his trusty and instantly recognisable saxophone. JC Carrol of The Members, and John Perry of the Only Ones, recreated some of their hits, much to the delight of a packed audience.

A fitting moment during the proceedings was a video of The Train by Mark E Smith and Ed Blaney. Sensitively produced especially for the festival by Steve Bowden the cinematic montage was a poignant tribute to another universally loved and much missed Icon. In fact Ed Blaney divided his magnificent set between tributes tohits his old cohort Mark E Smith and Poly Styrene, which was an extremely moving festival segment.

Specific highlights include Melanie Williams’ unique symphonic version of The Day The World Turned Day-Glo, and Identity by the enigmatic and rather brilliant Fuzzbox.

Newcomers Cherry and Peesh did a splendid acoustic work out of Plastic Bag, and Roger Waters and Suede guitarist and collaborator did an absolutely fantastic Blues version of the classic track I Am a Poseur.

The Rubbettes did an extraordinary version of Genetic Engineering, with Steve Etherington and his cohorts completing his set with a new wave workout of Sugar Baby Love. Another great set came from a hybrid of Modern Romance and Leyton Buzzards, whose eclectic set included an incredible version of Saturday Night between the Plastic Palm Trees.

Another group to turn in a magnificent set were The Vapors, who did a particularly fast and furious rendition of Turning Japanese. The Gonads also provided some tremendous humour during their loud and raucous set culminating in a well-deserved encore.

Fun Boy Three and Specials Legend Neville Staple had the entire room chanting his classics, and Christina Sugary Staple performed a brilliant version of the X-Ray Spex standard I Cant Do Anything. Other bands providing great covers included The Shakespearos, Dr the Medics, Spizzoligy, and the absolutely incredible She Robot.

However it was Headliner John Otway who ultimately thrilled the crowd with his sardonic wit and catchy observational songs, thus closing the proceedings on a high!

Long live the memory of the late great Poly Styrene. Long live Polyfest

Laura Beth

The man behind Polyfest

Promoter Mike Bennett

“This festival is in its sixth year, and Polyfest 6 has to be the best to date”

Zube Records - Check um out!

The Suicide Tapes The Suicide Tapes

Back in the spring of 1983, all four members of what would become The Suicide Tapes came together through mutual acquaintances, each having been in and around the local music scene for some time and previously cut their teeth playing in various bands during their teenage years.

Collectively embracing the rip-tide undercurrent of the post-punk/gothic scene and drawing influences from darker art-punk and performance such as Bauhaus, Siouxsie & the Banshees, The Cult, Theatre of Hate, The Cure, Joy Division, Bowie etc, the band quickly assembled their set of self-penned guitar-based theatre rock and soon began making an impact in the Herts and Essex area.

An EP release soon followed, attracting airplay in France after being championed by Radio Lyon. After beginning to break into the London indie circuit, and twice playing support to New Model Army, real life got in the way and the band amicably separated, each pursuing other interests.

Some thirty years later, a casual conversation between vocalist Steve and a musican mutual friend lit a spark of a possible reformation. Almost simlutaneously, and completely coincidentally, a text

Now reformed and back on the road with new and original material re-crafted by the refinements of maturity, the experience is fresher, bigger and just as relevant as it initially was. In addition to the returning original fans The Suicide Tapes have attracted new fans of all ages, from youngsters not even born on their first incarnation, to contemporaries (and older!) who are hearing for the first time with new ears but with a subtle hint of nostalgia. Expect passion, melodrama and angst. Often dark. Sometimes pop. Always sincere.

Something to live for... The Suicide Tapes

suicidetapes@gmail.com

facebook.com/suicide.tapes

soundcloud.com/the-suicide-tapes

message from guitarist Brian to Steve, suggesting a possible one-off reunion (for a charity event), ignited that spark into a flame and, with the other two members Paul and Rikki quickly on board also, the stage was set.

www.youtube.com/channel/UCMQZFYLMMyBeycr4KZQxLLw instagram.com/thesuicidetapes

@SuicideTapes

Rikki Double - Drums

Paul Hills - Bass guitar, backing vocals

Brian Perryman - Guitars

Steve Scales - Lead vocals

Starseedz are an English duo composed of singer-songwriters Catrine O’Neill and Jon Willoughby. O’Neill and Willoughby formed Starseedz in 2014 and released their first EP ‘Little Bird’. In 2016 they came to the attention of End of the Trail Records and released two singles, ‘Miss You’ and ‘Made That Way’.

BIOGRAPHY

In 2018 they moved to St Albans based Nub Music. #Love (Hashtag Love) will be the first release with Nub and sees them staying true to their direct musical approach. They have performed at the Celebrity Soccer Six charity event at Stamford Bridge and twice at the Alternative Great Escape plus a support slot for Paul Young and numerous festivals in the North London area.

Starseedz are an English duo composed of singer-songwriters Catrine O’Neill and Jon Willoughby. O’Neill and Willoughby formed Starseedz in 2014 and released their first EP ‘Little Bird’.

Confessional lyrics and pure vocals define Starseedz sound. With harmonies that glide over beautiful, sonic landscapes, the closeness of their musical partnership reflects their unashamedly honest, romantic connection. Mostly guitarcentred, their indie-folk sound, embellished with quirky orchestral touches and floaty optimism is as yet, an undiscovered musical gem.

In 2016 they came to the attention of End of the Trail Records and released two singles, ‘Miss You’ and ‘Made That Way’.

Starseedz are still waiting for their moment, but it surely must be just a matter of time?

starseedzmusic@gmail.com

starseedz.com

In 2018 they moved to St Albans based Nub Music. #Love (Hashtag Love) will be the first release with Nub and sees them staying true to their direct musical approach. They have performed at Celebrity Soccer Six charity event at Stamford Bridge and twice at the Alternative Great Escape plus a support slot for Paul Young and numerous festivals in the North London area.

MY LATEST TOP BANDS, ARTISTS & EVENTS!

Jingle jangle & a big Ho Ho Ho to you all. ‘Tis the season to drink Mulled Wine or even if you’re incredibly trendy ‘Mulled Gin’! I’m a recent convert to the whole Gin thing so I might give it a go.

So much has been happening it’s hard to know where to start…

New website (see next page for details) courtesy of www.8ecreative.co.uk very exciting stuff!

Charity single release by Warner Taylor Folk for my Mum in aid of Dementia UK justgiving.com/crowdfunding/deniseparsons

www.theparsonsknows.com

Thanks to everyone involved –take a look at the press release in this here mag. We’ve already raised £500 – not too shabby after only 2 weeks!

So, onto Local Music & it’s been a busy but rewarding time to be involved with so much great music releases. In no particular order lets take a look at...

Charlotte & The Glovers –

Just wow… gorgeous vocals & great little pop tunes. I first came across Charlotte doing covers on FB & what a voice but you know… covers & all that. Met up with her and sowed the seed of getting some backing & doing some original material & 2 years later I feel like a proud parent as ‘Charlotte & The Glovers’ take the town by storm! The songs for me envibe the spirit of the 80’s with good sing along pop tunes, expertly performed by her band featuring songwriter extraordinaire Chris Carter who is usually found writing punk tunes for Waiting for Katherine. Who knew he had an ‘inner popster’?!

Charlotte’s vocals are just the icing on the cake & it’s amazing to see her confidence growing & growing. Check out their brand-new video for ‘The Crazy Things You Make Me Do’ I defy anyone not to be singing along

by the end of it with a smile on your face. And this my friends is the gift of music.. to make you ‘feel’ something.

facebook.com/ GloverUK/ youtube.com/ watch?v=FpIjlorAYBo

Kevee Lynch – The larger than life presenter of ‘Wake Up With Kevee’, front man for ‘Skomads’ & author of several books now embarks on a solo career. Is there no stopping this man? Kevee releases a solo EP just I time for Xmas with a catchy little number ‘Ska’d for Xmas’. The EP is a mix of old & new songs that Kevee just wants to get out there. Anyone with a creative side knows that you just can’t bottle that stuff up... you need to let it loose in the world. Great punk tune ‘Straight To Hell’ & an instrumental ‘Surf With The Devil’ are my favourites! What will he get up to next I wonder?! Watch this space is all I can say. Out now on Nub Records. Video coming soon?

itunes.apple.com/gb/album/skad-forchristmas-ep/1444797065

Westward Ho

The Papersnakes – apparently, I am responsible or them… not sure about that but they are fun! They have decided to release a series of singles rather than waiting for an EP or album, a trend I am seeing across the digital world. The first one is ‘On My Own’ out now! Go check them out!

facebook.com/thepapersnakes

Charming folksters with a catchy title for their new EP ‘The Horseman, The Woman & The Moth’ & even catchier tunes. Very cool artwork where you can take the ‘ink blot’ challenge & find all 3 from the title by 16-year-old Tabitha Cooper. An eclectic band that are always enjoyable to catch live in various formations from 3 to 7 musicians depending. They’ve also just recently taken to hosting an open mic & recording a local music podcast! Check them out.. facebook.com/westwardhomusic

The Earls of Satan – a new band…. so new I really don’t know anything about them other than I like the tracks they’ve sent me. A cool 60’s psychedelia vibe & some great imagery on their band page. Watch this space.

facebook.com/The-Earls-OfSatan-169773807294968/

Fun Balloon Animals

is a Psychedelic, gothic art project from Hertfordshire. Created from assorted members of the local music scene, F.B.A. are putting the final pieces of their debut LP together which is to be released early in the new year on Prank Monkey Records.

The Post Modern Prometheus is a collection of songs based around the classic novel Frankenstein by Mary Shelly and works as a soundtrack to the book.

The band sometimes perform under the moniker F.B.A. Corporation and have a very unique look when playing live.They see these events as part gig and part theatre show, as the music and performances run on a narrative based around Shelly’s story of the creation of life.

They have finished the year, playing the Watford Fringe festival and releasing a ‘taster’ track from the LP, ‘It’s Alive’ (Death Disco mix) on Halloween.

The LP is due to be released early 2019, with a full UK tour to follow.

Here’s a video of the band in action... BlankTV.com

What's Happening Harpenden Public Halls?

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So, apart from being a live music venue we also have things like the annual Scout Gang show, Children’s Theatre, Musical Theatre productions and model railway exhibitions to deal with. So that pretty much takes care of most of January and February and a good chuck of March. It’s not all rock ‘n’ roll at the Halls!

Our first live show of the year is the Style Councillors on 15th of February. Their first visit here, and a great tribute to Paul Weller’s post Jam excursion into a more soulful direction, performing here the 1989 greatest hits album the Singular Adventures of the Style Council.

March gets underway with Big Country on the 1st – they’re still a big draw despite the lack of much missed founder Stuart Adamson. Then we have two shows back to back with The South on the 7th, featuring ex-singer of the Beautiful South Alison Wheeler and on the 8th we have Steve Harley (of Cockney Rebel fame) and his acoustic trio.

You’ll need your dancing boots on for March 9th as local legend Sid Hudson presents his first Cali-R night at the halls featuring soul band RDG. Then it’s Soulfish on the 10th, who were here in December for their annual pre-Christmas blow-out, this time performing a benefit for the local Mencap – a worthy cause, so please buy a ticket!

Since Christmas is always a time for reflection, here’s my top 5 gigs at the Halls in 2018: From The Jam, Special Kinda Madness, Chuck Prophet, Roy Ayers and Jilted John.

We’ve got plenty happening March onwards, so keep an eye out or check our website at harpendenpublichalls.co.uk

See you soon, Glenn Povey (General Manager at the Public Halls)

Great things start with humble beginnings. What does Disney, Harley Davidson, Apple, Hewlett Packard, Google and Amazon all have in common? They all started with a great idea and a garage (can you guess who these garages belonged too? answers at the end).

CHANGING LIVES!

studio@northhertsfm.com

That's what North Herts FM believe they have. Operating from a garage conversion at present but with a vision to be the best privately owned Community Radio station for the area. Run by and for the local community. In fact, North Herts FM is the ONLY truly local radio station in the area. Born out of frustration that "local" radio often means a global brand with some community content, inaccessible and expensive to get your event or business advertised and with little knowledge of the local community.

Great things start with humble beginnings. What does Disney, Harley Davidson, Apple, Hewlett Packard, Google and Amazon all have in common? They all started with a great idea and a garage (can you guess who these garages belonged too? answers at the end).

northhertsfm.com

One of the main intentions of the station has always been to give opportunities to our community to fulfil their dreams. Be it to share their passion through broadcasting it to the community they live in, or to step on to the ladder of their chosen career. We like to think that what separates North Herts FM from many other radio stations is our accessibility. Here’s are some examples of what we feel is our success in this area.

That's what North Herts FM believe they have. Operating from a garage conversion at present but with a vision to be the best privately owned Community Radio station for the area. Run by and for the local community. In fact, North Herts FM is the ONLY truly local radio station in the area. Born out of frustration that "local" radio often means a global brand with some community content, inaccessible and expensive to get your event or business advertised and with little knowledge of the local community.

You would expect the need for radio was diminishing with other options such as Spotify, Amazon Prime and YouTube. But Online radio is actually growing by 37% year on year. The operators of the station believe that once 5g becomes available on smartphones next year, the need for DAB and FM coverage will diminish. Presently the most popular place to listen to radio is in the car and as data charges drop and speeds increase on mobile phones, online radio will replace the older ways of listening to the radio.

Freddie Cardy is 14. His dream was to be a Football Commentator. So when he saw a call on the Hitchin Town Football club’s noticeboard for commentators for a new venture with Hitchin Town FC and North Herts FM, he immediately replied. Freddie has now been commentating with us since July and is VERY good at it. So much so that he has been noticed by the BBC and Talksport as well as the local media. It was just the exposure Freddie needed to put him on the path to his dream career. Kate & Brian are not your typical radio presenters and we love it! They both have a passion for Rock Music and North Herts FM gives them the chance to share that passion with the world.

Local organisations such as Benslow Music in Hitchin and Henlow Bridge Lakes have been taking advantage of the free advertising being offered and organisations such as Garden House Hospice Care and The Cloisters have been using the events bulletins once an hour to advertise their forthcoming events. North Herts FM has also forged a collaboration with Hitchin Town Football Club to bring live football commentary when they play at home supplementing their Twitter coverage for those with disabilities who can't make it to the ground on match day.

Brian wrote : “Six months ago if someone had told me I would be co-hosting a rock show on a local, community Internet Radio Station I would have laughed... I told my family, they were very supportive after they picked themselves up off the floor laughing. “

You would expect the need for radio was diminishing with other options such as Spotify, Amazon Prime and YouTube. But Online radio is actually growing by 37% year on year. The operators of the station believe that once 5g becomes available on smartphones next year, the need for DAB and FM coverage will diminish. Presently the most popular place to listen to radio is in the car and as data charges drop and speeds increase on mobile phones, online radio will replace the older ways of listening to the radio.

And Kate: “The subject gets on to music and tastes and Brian and myself find ourselves talking about our love of rock and swapping band names. Before we could complete the conversation, Brian has signed us up to DJ Becky’s new Rock show!!! It’s a joke, right? I’m a BOOK-KEEPER for heavens sake! “

As it turns out, their passion carries them through and makes the show compelling listening. Would Brian and Kate have had this chance anywhere elese with no experience?

Local organisations such as Benslow Music in Hitchin and Henlow Bridge Lakes have been taking advantage of the free advertising being offered and organisations such as Garden House Hospice Care and The Cloisters have been using the events bulletins once an hour to advertise their forthcoming events. North Herts FM has also forged a collaboration with Hitchin Town Football Club to bring live football commentary when they play at home supplementing their Twitter coverage for those with disabilities who can't make it to the ground on match day.

Melly and Lulu’s Breakfast Show is another show where the presenters have never presented a show before. Now, it is one of North Herts FM’s most listened to shows. It has also given Melly and Lulu a chance to get interviews with some of their idols from Herts Pride and add another skill to their growing skill set.

Even after only 3 months on air, North Herts FM already has some very well supported shows including newcomer and first time presenter Melly Mel with her All Day Breakfast. Community Focus tells stories of inspirational local people. Paul Gray takes listeners through soul music with Soul Stew and Dave Miligan with Round at Milligans. Two shows support music both locally and Internationally with The International Unsigned Show and The Parsons Knows Local Music. With a Rock, Country and even Storytime for the kids, there's something for everyone and the schedule is still building.

Even after only 3 months on air, North Herts FM already has some very well supported shows including newcomer and first time presenter Melly Mel with her All Day Breakfast. Community Focus tells stories of inspirational local people. Paul Gray takes listeners through soul music with Soul Stew and Dave Miligan with Round at Milligans. Two shows support music both locally and Internationally with The International Unsigned Show and The Parsons Knows Local Music. With a Rock, Country and even Storytime for the kids, there's something for everyone and the schedule is still building.

You can help the station by following them on Twitter and Facebook, sharing the station with your friends. A big part is community involvement so listening and taking part will help them stay on air and achieve their ambitious goals. Feedback is always important so get in touch with news and events or just for a dedication on air. Contact studio@northhertsfm.com or visit http:// northhertsfm.com

6 Months ago, we were sent an archive piece of footage from the 70’s TV Programme “Nationwide”. It was about a DJ in Stevenage, Who, morning the loss of Radio Caroline, created his own radio station bradcasting to just how wife! His dream was to broadcast to the whole of Stevenage. Deke Duncan has been doing this now for 44 years and was found by Justin Dealey of BBC Three Counties Radio. Justin contacted North Herts FM because our studio is only 2 miles from Deke’s original Studio. We went on air on BBC Three Counties last Sunday to offer Deke a permanent Show on North Herts FM, Fulfilling his dream.

You can help the station by following them on Twitter and Facebook, sharing the station with your friends. A big part is community involvement so listening and taking part will help them stay on air and achieve their ambitious goals. Feedback is always important so get in touch with news and events or just for a dedication on air. Contact studio@northhertsfm.com or visit http:// northhertsfm.com

Garages from top : Hewlett Packard, Amazon, Harley Davidson, Walt Disney

Garages from top : Hewlett Packard, Amazon, Harley Davidson, Walt Disney

These are just four of many stories where North Herts FM has brought new opportunities to the North Herts Community. Something we feel is an important aspect of Community Radio Broadcasting and why we feel it is so important to support YOUR Local Community Radio Station.

"Online radio is actually growing by 37% year on year."